Audience Questions

Audience QuestionsHour 1

Mike wonders if the Apple Watch will be obsolete in less than a year. Leo says it's probably correct. He says it looks "fiddly" and it's a solution in search of a problem. And because it's the first generation, Leo advises taking a wait and see attitude. Let someone else be the beta tester. Like Japanese schoolgirls, whom he's convinced what Apple is aiming the Apple Watch at.

Mike also intherited a Kindle Fire tablet and he's wondering about the OS. It doesn't really look like Android. Leo says that's because it's been heavily modified and it generally designed to get you to buy stuff through it. And for that, especially Kindle Books, it's ideal for. And if you have Amazon Prime, it's great for streaming music and video. So consider it a media consumption device and you're good to go.

Heather's preschool and buy a bulk deal on computers and she wants to know what's best. Leo says that Google's Chromebook may be the best option. All it has is a browser, and you use extensions that are online. But if you have dedicated software, then that's not going to work. What brand computers? HP, Dell or Apple? Leo says that Apple is a better choice because there's no real issue with security and you can actually run Windows on it if you need to. But they're twice as expensive as a garden variety Windows machine. Still, it's a better option. If Windows, Dell and Lenovo are your best bets.

Audience QuestionsHour 2

Wendy is considering getting a computer for her Mom. Leo says that computers are too complicated for most people, especially seniors. He recommends an iPad. It's a lot easier, and you can use SIRI to open apps, dictate email, and surf the net. And there's a 12.9" iPad rumored to be coming next month. Leo also says that Wendy will have to get one with LTE and that will be an additional monthly cost.

Neil bought an ICON Windows phone, but he's thinking of returning it because Google isn't syncing right. Should he buy an iPhone. Leo says that the new iPhone 6 is probably the best phone experience you can get. And it supports Google very well. But Leo says you can attach your outlook account to Google through the settings by using Yahoo as the middle man. So you connect the Windows Phone to Yahoo, and then connect Yahoo to Google. You can do the same thing with LinkedIn. And they're free.Once you have that connected, then you can go to Google natively and have all your contacts. Leo also says that Verizon should be able to do the migration from one phone to another for Neil. Just go to the Verizon store.

Can I get old SMS Text messages exported over? Leo says yes, but it depends on how old they are and Neil may have to do it manually. But more recent ones, Verizon can resend them to you.

Audience QuestionsHour 3

Will T-Mobile and Sprint be merging? Leo says no. The merger is dead since it looks like the FCC wouldn't approve the merger. Pity too. So now, a French company is trying to buy T-Mobile. Leo says that TMobile has great speeds, especially in areas where there isn't a lot of presence. So if the coverage is good in your area, then go for T-Mobile.

Doctor Mom wants to plug the New York World Maker Faire, which is a gathering for people who love to make stuff. And Doctor Mom is there teaching. It's at the Hall of Science right behind Shea Stadium. Leo says that Maker Faire is a great event and Make Magazine gave birth to it. And Radio Shack is sponsoring it and that would be a good thing to keep them open if they harnassed the maker movement.

David has Windows 7 and he's thinking about upgrading to Windows 8. Leo says to wait. Windows 9 is coming out this spring and the rumor is that Microsoft may just give it away. Windows 8 is the Vista of this decade and Leo says it's worth it to stay with Windows 7 and wait for Win 9. You can see a preview of it at WinSuperSite.com. Leo also says that modern computers use UEFI instead of BIOS for a more secure boot up. You can turn on Secure boot, but UEFI does the heavy lifting to prevent someone from modifying your bootup. So Leo wouldn't worry about it.

This Week in Tech News

There's a huge security flaw in WINRAR, that will enable hackers to take over your computer. So Leo advises that if you use WINRAR to zip/unzip your files, that you should update to the latest beta version. But you have to go to the WINRAR site and manually download the update. There is no automatic update.

Accusing Apple of anti competitive behavior, Spotify's music streaming service says that the company charges a 30% commission for subscriptions through the Apple store, while charging 30% less for their own music service.

Leo bought the Samsung Galaxy S10+, a phone with 10TB of storage, 12GB of RAM, and a ceramic back. For $1500. Leo says it's a really nice phone. Reviews are mixed, but buyers seem to like it, with preorders doubling the last generation. Samsung has avoided "the notch," but instead, they have a "hole punch," which houses two selfie cameras. Is that any different than the notch? Not really. It's also nearly as big as the Note 9 and has the best screen on the market. But Leo says it's so fast that it's hyper-responsive. It reacts to being touched on the edge. It also has three cameras on the back. It also has an under-screen fingerprint ID, which isn't very fast and requires a little patience. AND IT HAS A HEADPHONE JACK!

In a new announcement, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that Facebook is moving towards a more privacy-focused experience, including encryption, private groups, and more. Zuckerberg admitted that Facebook doesn't have a reputation for security and privacy, and they plan to change all that. With sharing on Facebook going down by 25%, especially with younger users, Zuckerberg says that the social media network is going to move from a town square, to your own living room. It's a serious PIVOT. Leo says that Zuckerberg has made promises like this before, so we'll have to wait and see what happens. Is it possible to have a privacy-focused Facebook? Only time will tell, but Leo says it's a good idea.